How Important is Replay Value to You?

[Spirit]

Some of us can keep playing a completed save file for ten years (like me on the Wind Waker)

Whereas others just give the game up once the credits roll even if there are things to go back to.

So, how important is replay value for you?
Are you the kind of person who keeps going back to games, do you prefer it if there is something to go back for or if you liek the game enough will you just go back through it?

Which games have the best replay value for you?

 

[ThePurpleKnight]

Depends on the game, I can play same wing waker file as well because of that hole above outset, and the treasure hunting and mini games and even the photographs, there is so much to do and while I may miss link in his white pantyhose and green skirt and fun boots, it's also cool to have him in his normal clothes.

But when a game has nothing to do for fun at the end and is not fun to start over I don't touch the game very much, last time I played twilight princess I ran around not knowing where I was going collecting bugs for some girl that nobody except me seems to like.

 

[Krazy4Krash]

Oohh, very important. The fact my favourite game is Brawl should be evident enough of this, considering the mind boggling amount of content it has. My other favourite series tend to be "quest" games that feature a beginning and end. Those are a matter of the individual game and how much I'd like to do multiple playthroughs.

 

[Ventus]

Replay value is very important to me; it's one of the things that determine whether I keep a game in my library or not. I despise games that appear to be good for only one playthrough or so - a parallel to this is that I want to be able to suck on my lollypop for several hours rather than a mere 20 minutes.

And sometimes, replayability isn't evident in having a bajillion unlockables. It usually manifests itself in the form of very diverse paths (Zelda Ocarina of Time), or a variety of runs possible wherein equipment choice and things actually matter (Star Ocean: Till the End of Time). Of course, I cannot really replay a 200+ hour game, or a huge as heck MMORPG because getting absolutely everything even once takes long enough as it is.

 

[JuicieJ]

When it comes to judging a game's quality, it's one of the last things on my mind, but when it comes to getting my money's worth, you better believe it's important. Replay value can mean the difference between me keeping a game or trading it in, and I don't think any two games have ever showcased this for me more than Skyward Sword and Portal 2. Amazing games, two of the best from 2011 and of all time, but they couldn't have been larger polar opposites in replay value for me. I've played through Skyward Sword countless times, while I've only played through Portal 2 thrice. Reason being the former has excellent replay value while the latter has very little. Granted, all Zelda games have excellent replay value that neither Portal game can even begin to touch, but there was just something about Portal 2 that didn't keep me excited when coming back to it, which is a shame, because I WANTED to keep replaying it without getting tired of it due to its incredible design and outrageous humor. But... I guess it wasn't meant to be, as I wound up trading it in about a year after I purchased it. (I really hate that...)

Anyway, in the end, replay value is what's going to get me to keep a game for good or part ways with it, but it won't significantly affect my overall thoughts on a game.

 

[MonkeyFightSquad]

Like JucieJ said, Replay value gets your moneys worth. I don't think replay value is that important in a large game, or a multiplayer game like Super Smash Bros. Simply because multiplayer games are games that you replay. There's no story. It's just battling. So it's a replay game in its self.

 

[DarkestLink]

I define replay value as how fun the game is and nothing but that. Some games, like TP, I will run around on my save file and go to Cave of Ordeals or Lightning Round in SS. But generally, I start over with a fresh file, keeping one sole 100% file untouched. Games, to me, are far more fun the 2nd, 3rd, 4th...100th time around. XD I just love getting more familiar with my games, particularly Zelda titles, honing my skills, gaining a deep understand of the game rules and physics...I never understood people who quit the game after their first playthrough. To me, that's like leaving the party right before the cake and drinks are passed out and the fireworks go off.

But I digress...since my replay value depends solely on how fun the game is...it is very important. If I don't replay a title at least 10-20 times within the not-to-distant future after buying it, I consider it a waste of money. I have limited funds, so I have to be picky. XD

 

[Viral Maze]

It's somewhat important. I'm a student, I have to pay for rent, utilities, tuition, groceries, etc (though the government does help a lot), so I don't have a lot of money to throw around on whims.

That said, it's still a secondary consideration. Gameplay, and story matter more. Replayability comes in after and it does hold sway over my decisions but not too much. Even if I don't plan on playing the game twice, just that fact that it is a choice-based game, has a new game+ feature, or has a multiplayer component tends to tip me one way or another.

 

[Azure Sage]

Replay value is pretty important to me. If I enjoy a game, I'd want to keep playing it. If I am going to keep playing it, I wouldn't want to get bored of it. Zelda games in general have really good replay value, but the game Tales of the Abyss really sticks out in my mind when it comes to replay value. It's so chocked full of content it's almost impossible to get everything in a single playthrough. Each new playthrough has something new for you to look forward to. This is an amazing aspect for a game to have as far as replay value goes.

In short, if I enjoy the game, naturally I'd want to continue to enjoy it by playing through it again. Replay value helps make that even more enjoyable. So it's very important to me. I just can't play a game only once, unless I don't like it.

 

[Castle]

Replay value is absolutely essential. I don't want to play a game, much less pay for it, no matter its length then package it up and never touch it again. There's no value in that, certainly no value for the buck. A game that gives no reason or desire to play it after the first time just isn't worth playing in the first place. At the very least not worth paying anything for.

At least if you enjoy playing a game enough to finish it then it's worth another round. Just because you've seen it all doesn't necessarily mean you've done everything and even if you have it's not like it's not worth doing again if you had fun doing it the first time.

 

[Ventus]

I'd like to add something: video games are not consumables. They aren't like food in that they perish after the first usage, or at least, they shouldn't be.

 

[Azure Sage]

I'd like to add something: video games are not consumables. They aren't like food in that they perish after the first usage, or at least, they shouldn't be.

You're right about that, but they can get boring after a while. No matter how amazing a game may be, it'll eventually get boring the more you play it over and over again. It's entirely possible to lose interest. While that's pretty much inevitable, good replay value means that time won't come for a while. Games aren't perishable, but they do have an expiration date in a manner of speaking. That expiration date just depends on when you finally tire of the game.

 

[DarkestLink]

You're right about that, but they can get boring after a while. No matter how amazing a game may be, it'll eventually get boring the more you play it over and over again. It's entirely possible to lose interest. While that's pretty much inevitable, good replay value means that time won't come for a while. Games aren't perishable, but they do have an expiration date in a manner of speaking. That expiration date just depends on when you finally tire of the game.

Ehhh...I disagree. If you only played one video game over and over, then yeah, it gets boring...that's why you mix it up a little. You don't need to replay a Zelda 20 times in a row. Add some other Zeldas to it, to mix it up a bit, add a couple of Mario titles maybe, some SSB in the middle and whatever else you like. Well maybe it's just taste, but this is how I've been doing it. Not bored with any of my games yet.

 

[Azure Sage]

Ehhh...I disagree. If you only played one video game over and over, then yeah, it gets boring...that's why you mix it up a little. You don't need to replay a Zelda 20 times in a row. Add some other Zeldas to it, to mix it up a bit, add a couple of Mario titles maybe, some SSB in the middle and whatever else you like. Well maybe it's just taste, but this is how I've been doing it. Not bored with any of my games yet.

Well, of course you have the option to play other games in between. All I'm saying is that no matter how many times you play a game (whether it's in a row or not, I should have been more clear in my last post about that) it's eventually going to become boring. The fact that you're not bored with any of your games yet doesn't mean you'll never get bored of them.

 

[DarkestLink]

Well, of course you have the option to play other games in between. All I'm saying is that no matter how many times you play a game (whether it's in a row or not, I should have been more clear in my last post about that) it's eventually going to become boring. The fact that you're not bored with any of your games yet doesn't mean you'll never get bored of them.

Been actively replaying some of them for...hmmm....14 years now (N64 games). If I ever do get bored of them...I'll have a healthy amount of new games to replay by then. I just don't get how a game would suddenly get boring unless you outgrow it or something.